Clone Wars Reveals The Origins of Ahsoka’s Fulcrum Title In Rebels
Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 7 revealed the origin of Ahsoka's Fulcrum title from Star Wars Rebels. Clone Wars season 7 is in its home stretch, preparing for the Siege of Mandalore. While this conflict is the focus, the events of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith take place in the background. This means the age of rebellion is on the horizon, setting the stage for Clone Wars' sequel series, as indicated by a few Easter eggs this season. The most recent was the mention of Fulcrum, a title Ahsoka used during Star Wars Rebels, and where it got its start.
During the events of Star Wars Rebels, the Ghost grew received transmissions from a mysterious figure known only as Fulcrum. Hera Syndulla, a Rebel operative, took their orders in secret and without hesitation, despite not knowing their true identity. In the final episode of Star Wars Rebels season 1, it was revealed that the individual behind the messages was Ahsoka Tano. She took on the title as a way for her to conduct undercover Rebel missions without giving away her true identity. Being a former Jedi in a post-Order 66 world is a death sentence, so she needed the pseudonym for survival. For as long as it was in circulation, its origins were not made clear, until very recently in The Clone Wars.
The name stems back to the Republic era, as Clone Wars season 7, episode 9, "Old Friends Not Forgotten" quietly explained. Before taking the fight to Maul, Ahsoka and Bo-Katan need backing from the Grand Army of the Republic. Without the added manpower, their assault on Mandalore would be a disaster. The two arrive at their meeting with Jedi Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi using a secret frequency with the Fulcrum title. It is explicitly stated that Onderon Rebel Saw Gerrera is the only other person who knows of it besides its creator, Anakin, and his former Padawan. Up to this point, canonically, this is the very first occurrence of Ahsoka using the title before her debut in Rebels.
It's no secret that Ahsoka took on the mantle for some time, but she wasn't the only one to do so. The title cultivated an impressive lineage while it was in use during the Galactic Civil War. Other Rebel operatives under Senator Bail Organa's intelligence network used it for a variety of covert tasks. Notable names include fellow Rebels cast member Alexsandr Kallus following his defection from the Empire and Cassian Andor from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Still, Ahsoka was tied closest to it, even inspiring their symbol with her unique Togruta forehead markings.
Now knowing where Fulcrum came from and what the title was used for, there was an added layer of mystique to it. It became a beacon of resistance, even though its origins stem from one of the Empire's figureheads, Darth Vader. It holds personal connotations to her, serving as a constant reminder of who her master was before his dark turn. She took the title as a way to not only undermine the Empire but also reinforce what it was created for in the first place - rebellion. By giving context to the Fulcrum name, The Clone Wars made Ahsoka's Rebels appearances all the more important.